| CODE | CGS5030 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Cognitive Science | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This unit will draw on a number of areas of traditional philosophy, such as the philosophy of language, epistemology, philosophy of science and philosophy of mind. It will present problems and issues from these areas which are particularly relevant for Cognitive Science. Philosophical problems and related theories will be presented thematically through readings and class discussions of textbooks, readings and seminal writings in each of these areas. These problems will be related directly to research in the field of Cognitive Science. Examples of research proposals and research papers will be used to practice the analytic, argumentative and reporting skills learned in the unit. Four textbooks that cover the main areas will be used. Various readings from selections of seminal texts and papers will also be used. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to enable students to identify and analyse the foundational philosophic questions and problems which underlie and direct research in Cognitive Science. It also aims to enable the students to acquire and practice the analytic skills required to engage in discussions (both written and spoken) regarding the implications of relevant philosophic problems in specific cognitive science research projects and experiments. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyse and engage with texts and articles which present philosophical theories and argue for philosophical positions in areas related to Cognitive Science research; - Produce written and spoken responses to such philosophical arguments and theories presented as texts and in conferences; - Identify relevant philosophical theories, and be conversant with contemporary philosophical debates directly related to the various areas of research activity in Cognitive Science; - Engage with and contribute to such areas of philosophical debate. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Read critically and respond to: a theoretical argument, a proposal for an investigation, a design of an experiment, results of an experiment, discussions of results of experiments, (when these fall within the field of cognitive science). For the above instances, students would be able to: - identify underlying philosophical presuppositions, and relate such presuppositions to philosophical theories and positions which they connote; - present clear and cohesive arguments and reports in both written and spoken form, of any weakness, inconsistencies or overlooked considerations which they identify; suggest improvements and alternatives. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Mindware: An Introduction to the Philsophy of Cognitive Science Clark, Andy 2014 (2nd Edition) Second Nature: Brain Science and Human Knowledge Edelman, Gerald 2007 Philosophy of mind: A contemporary introduction. Heil, John 1998 Understanding Philosophy of Science. Ladyman, James 2001. Supplementary reading: Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference. Houghton Mifflin. Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Study of Mind. Friedenber, Jay and Silverman Gordon (2006) Sage Publications. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Clive Zammit |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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